Danny Phantom: New Enemy
by Crystalbearer
Summary: When Sam starts to hang out with the new kid, Danny fears the worst. He sure that he isn't who he says he is. D/S OCs, OCC
1. Meet the New Kid

**Hello! I'm NOT dead!**

**Just... been writing for a while.**

**I have this thing where I write the WHOLE story before posting.**

**Don't know why. Don't care.**

**ANYWHO.**

**Here's my new story.**

**I hope it is enjoyed by all kinds of people. Like you.**

**Yeah you. Right there. :P**

**Disclaimer: *sigh* Everytime... You know, funny story actually. I tried to steal the rights to Danny Phantom from Butch and I... **

**Wait none of you are cops right?**

**Oh damn...**

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><p>A small, black figure on horseback rode through the darkest and most demonic part of the Ghost Zone. He had been on the hunt for three days now, and he was getting tired of searching.<p>

It had to be here somewhere; that he knew. But he couldn't keep flying around in search of something that moves soundlessly and unknown.

His search began when he was once again released from his prison that held him for so many years. The most unlikely, but familiar, of ghosts had come to his rescue, and for that he was grateful. He had reward the young ghost with something that was very rare and precious in the Ghost Zone.

He reined in his steed at the sound of moving fog. He reared his horse to see a swirling circle of smoke. It moved cautiously.

"Exactly what I was looking for," he mumbled. Digging his heels into the horse's sides, he galloped into the mist and disappeared, the portal going with him.

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><p>"So, are you coming over Saturday or what?" 17 year old Danny Fenton asked his best friend, Tucker Foley.<p>

The 17 year old African American was digging through his locker, looking for his History textbook. "I don't know, man. Its only 3rd period and I've got a ton of homework already."

"Yeah, so do I, but I'll probably won't do it until Sunday," said Danny.

"What about ghost hunting?" asked Tucker.

"The ghosts will just have to wait."

"Dude, you're the protector of Amity Park! Evil waits for no one." Tucker pulled out his History book from under piles of random technology. "Aha! Found you!" he stuffed it in his backpack and zipped it up.

"Maybe Sam will come…" Danny said. They both started walking down the hall toward the history room.

Tucker laughed. "She _is _your best friend. She can't say no."

"She can say or do whatever she wants," Danny said defensively. They took their seats in the back of the class like they always do. "Not that I have a choice. She's just like that."

"Whatever she wants?" Tucker asked. His gaze seemed to have shifted to something behind Danny. "Like flirting with another guy?"

"What?" Danny turned around, and his jaw dropped.

Sam, _his Sam, _was talking to some new guy. Danny hadn't seen him before so he must have been new to the school. He had pale skin, cloudy gray eyes, and wore a black shirt, a leather jacket, baggy jeans and sneakers. He was pretty much dressed entirely in black, except for the strange necklace he wore around his neck that reached his stomach right where his ribs ended. A silver skull with green emeralds for eyes hung on it, and he had on spiked bracelets. He looked strangely familiar…

He was sitting in a chair, eye level with Sam's stomach. She stood with her spider backpack slung over one shoulder. She was laughing.

Danny got up and walked over to them. "Am I interrupting?"

Sam smiled at him. "Not at all."

The guy's eyes grew darker. "No."

"So, uh, Sam," Danny said. "You gonna introduce us to your new friend?"

The new guy stood up and held out his hand. "I'm Devon Knight," he said.

Danny shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"The feeling's mutual."

Sam smiled again, a strange thing for a Goth to do. "I was showing Devon around the school earlier. He looked lost so I decided to help him. Turns out we have some classes together."

"It was very kind of you, Sam," said Devon. "Thank you."

"No problem," she shrugged.

Danny watched his best friend and the new guy Devon. He seemed nice, almost like Sam in a way. He saw how he made her laugh with just a random comment, and how he made her smile by just looking at her.

Danny didn't like it. At all.

Their teacher, Mr. Kurtz, called for attention and they went back to their seats, Sam and Danny next to each other, and Tucker in front of them. Sam thought he couldn't tell, but Danny caught her a few times sneaking glances at Devon, who sat alone.

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><p>It was 5th period. Lunch time. Sam had brought a salad from home, as she always does. Danny and Tucker bought a somewhat edible lunch from the cafeteria. While Tucker shoveled it down his throat, Danny swore he saw it move.<p>

"Tucker, I don't know how you can eat that," Sam said.

"It's easy. You stab it with your fork, and put it in your mouth." He did just that.

"Ugh…" Sam groaned and turned away.

Danny looked at his friend. "Tucker, take it easy."

He shrugged it off and continued to eat. After a few minutes of silence Tucker said, "So, what's with that new guy?"

Sam stopped eating. "What about him?"

Danny glared at Tucker for bringing _him _up again.

"Oh, I don't know. You seem to get along well with him."

She shrugged. "I guess." Sam stuffed lettuce in her mouth.

"He seems kinda Gothic, you know. And that skull he wears is weird. Don't you think, Danny?"

Danny wasn't listening. He had spotted a dark figure making his way through the crowd toward their table. He let out a long breath in annoyance.

"Danny?"

"Speak of the devil," Danny muttered.

Sam and Tucker were about to ask what he was talking about when Devon plopped his tray next to Sam. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Yes," said Danny.

Sam elbowed him. "Its fine, Devon."

"Cool."

Another silence passed over them. Tucker broke it again. "How you liking the school so far, Devon?"

"It's okay. I'm not big on the whole learning process though. I might need help with history, so maybe you could tutor me?"

Danny almost choked on his lunch.

"Sure," said Sam. "My house after school?"

"Perfect." Devon pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He looked at the time. "Hey, see you later. I have to… call home to make sure everything's been unpacked." He jumped up and left, leaving his half eaten lunch on the table.

"He seemed in a hurry," Tucker said.

"Yeah, I wonder if everything is okay," said Sam.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure he's fine." Then he perked up at something he remembered he wanted to do. "Hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanna come over Saturday? Tucker can't and I was hoping to have some company…" He trailed off, not sure what she would say.

Sam's eyes lit up. "Of course, Danny. I'd love to."

"Great." The three went back to eating.

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><p>Danny couldn't help but replay the image of that Devon kid making Sam laugh. What did Devon have that Danny didn't? Good looks? Charms? A chance with Sam? Maybe the first two but he could never have a chance with Sam. That's why being best friends with the love of your life really sucked.<p>

Danny never thought that being in love would be so difficult. With all the couples around, it seemed easy to be able to get a date. But those couples didn't fall for their best friend.

And they weren't half-ghost.

Danny walked up the stairs to his house. He pushed the door open and walked inside. It was dark and it looked like no one had been home for a while.

He went up to his room only to be attacked by a small blue-gray blur.

"Hey, Danny! How was school?" Mac asked. The small beagle-mutt mixed breed dog **(A/N: Description in my profile) **had his muzzle right in Danny's face.

"Same as every day," Danny said. He tossed his backpack to the side, its contents spilling out.

"Same crap? Or…" Mac started.

"Sort of." Danny laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. "There's this new guy and he… well he was hitting on Sam."

"Ah. There lays the problem," Mac said. He climbed up next to Danny. "So, what's he look like."

"Goth," Danny said sadly. "He's got this pale skin and he wears all black."

"Could be emo," Mac said.

Danny shrugged. "Don't think so. Anyway, he's also got this strange skull necklace with these green emeralds for eyes. Kinda creepy."

Mac raised his head. "What?"

"I said he has this necklace with a skull and emeralds for eyes."

"Are… are you sure? Like were they real emeralds or fake?"

Danny looked at his dog like he was crazy. He'd seen a lot of jewels in his lifetime but these seemed so real. "Real, I guess. Why?"

"Oh, no reason."

They fell silent. Danny wondered what was going on in that little doggie head of his. He reached out and ran a hand down his side. Mac relaxed and put his head down on the bed.

"He also asked Sam to tutor him," Danny said quietly.

"You don't seem happy."

"Of course not! Why would I be happy when Sam could be in danger! I mean she just met him today and he's already going to her house? Is she not paranoid? What if he turns out to be a bad guy? What then? I won't be there to protect her." Danny said the last part quietly. "And he seems almost familiar."

Mac twitched an ear. "Familiar how?"

"I don't know."

"Ghost?"

"My ghost sense didn't go off."

Mac was quiet. He got up and dragged Danny's backpack over to where he was sitting. "Start your homework and relax. I'll get you something to eat." The dog ran down the stairs.

Danny laid back on his bed. His thoughts constantly drifted from Sam to Mac and back to Sam.

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><p><strong>WHOOO! Its awesome being back!<strong>

**So whatcha think so far? As you already know, I have the whole story already and I will post the next chapter IF AND ONLY IF I get at least... oh I don't know... ONE REVIEW on this bad boy. I worked uber hard on this and I think that I derserve SOMETHING.**

**Oh and I apologize for the my own characters. I sometimes fantasize about them being there and what kind of adventures they'd have. And they actually play a critical part in this story, that I will tell you now.**

**So PLEASE WIF SUGAR ON TOP REVIEW!**

**Thank you!**

**Crystalbearer out. PEACE!**


	2. Study Session

**YAY! REVIEWS!**

**Sorry. I'm just excited. I forgot the feeling you get when people review your story.**

**So, anyway... Here's chapter 2: Study Session**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Sorry. I think the person you're looking for is the brilliant Butch Hartman.**

**And sadly, I ain't him. :(**

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><p>Sam was in her room, tossing clothes into the closet in a sad attempt to clean up. She quickly gathered up a pile of dirty laundry and chucked it in the hamper. She closed the closet door and the hamper and moved to her desk. Sweeping old papers and shopping receipts into the trash, she came across a picture of her, Danny, and Tucker from when they were 13. Only four years ago that picture was taken, but it seemed like forever.<p>

Starr **(A/N: PROFILE) **was curled up on Sam's bed, slowly drifting in and out of sleep. Her tail twitched every now and then.

"Remember," Sam said, "no, wings and no talking when Devon gets here."

"I know, I know. We've been over this, Sam," said Starr. She went to the windowsill and looked out the window. "When's he coming?"

"Three thirty."

So this Devon kid was coming over to be tutored by Sam. And she just met him today. Starr sighed and turned around. Sam was empting her backpack on her bed. Its contents flew out in all directions. She cursed and gathered them in neat piles, mostly consisting of what was to be done that day. The rest she tossed to the side.

A low rumbling sound had Starr's head turning to the window again. A black car had pulled up in front of Sam's house. The door opened and out stepped a young man about Sam's age. He had his backpack over one shoulder and was talking on a cell phone. _This must be him, _Starr thought. "So what's this Devon kid look like?"

Sam let out a long breath as she adjusted the speakers to her stereo system. "Tall and handsome."

"Mm… Black clothing, dark hair, pale skin?"

"Yeah."

"He's here."

Sam dropped the speaker. "Damn, that was fast." She turned to leave the room. "Starr, can you get that? I'm going to let Devon in."

Starr nodded and Sam left. The black cat gripped the speaker between her claws and flew it back to its place on the shelf. Then she landed at the window again. Devon was standing at the bottom of the stairs to Sam's house. Starr opened the window slightly. She peered out and the sunlight instantly got in her eyes. It was reflecting off of something that hung around Devon's neck. When he moved she could see it clearly. A silver skull with emerald eyes. If she had never seen anything like it before, than why did it feel like panic was squeezing her heart?

"Yeah, I'm here," Devon was saying into the phone. "Nah, it's not that bad. She's actually a pretty decent girl." He paused and when he spoke again, his voice got lower. Starr had to strain to hear what he was saying. "No, I didn't find him. I have an idea about who he could be." Another pause. "Danny Phantom is a halfa! This would be so much easier if he was full ghost."

He didn't say any more because that's when Sam opened the door to let him in. He smiled at her and said quickly to the person on the other line, "Hey, sorry. Gotta go. Talk to you later." He snapped the phone shut. "Hey Sam."

"Hey yourself," Sam said and waved for him to come in.

Starr backed away and shut the window. What would Devon want with Danny Phantom? And who was he talking to? There was no way she could ask him, especially when she was on Sam's orders. Speaking of which…

Starr retracted her wings and shook herself. _Normal cat, _she reminded herself, _normal cat._

She pushed open the door and padded through the hallway to the stairs. She stood at the top, watching Sam and Devon talk it up. Sam was laughing again and Devon crossed his arms and smiled to himself.

"You're a panic, Devon. You know that?" Sam chuckled. He shrugged. "Hey, you want something to drink? I got a whole fridge full." He shook his head.

"No thanks. I think we should really get started on this homework," he said and moved closer to Sam.

Seeing the sudden movement and the hesitation in Sam's body language, Starr meowed loudly to get their attention. Immediately, Devon backed away and looked around. "You have a cat?"

"Yeah," Sam said looking up at Starr. The black cat smiled and bolted back into Sam's room.

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><p>"Okay, last question. What is Zoroastrianism?"<p>

"Um…" Devon flipped through his notes. They had been reviewing for about two hours now and it seemed to be coming to a close. Starr had moved to the headboard of Sam's bed and had been watching Devon carefully. Every time he tried to get close to Sam or make a move, she would growl and earn a dirty look from the Goth.

"Zoroastrianism is an animistic religion that saw material existence as battle between the forces of good and evil, and it stressed the importance of moral choice: the righteous lived on after death in the House of Song. It was also the chief religion of the Persian Empire," Devon read.

"Right!" Sam slammed her textbook shut and laid it on the floor. "So, that's pretty much all we've been doing for the past three months. It's not that bad."

Devon shrugged. "You're right. It's really not. Although, I do like the idea that Zoroastrianism gives you. You ever thought about the afterlife?"

Starr's ears shot up, but she didn't move.

"A bit," Sam said.

"You know, like ghosts and stuff. Like where you'll go after you die."

Sam shrugged. "It doesn't really come up a lot."

"Really? Because I thought that of all places, Amity Park, the most haunted city in the U.S., would really scare people into thinking that."

_He's onto something, _Starr thought. She moved down from the headboard and curled up in Sam's lap.

"Well," said Sam, "when you live here you don't think about it much."

"Even with all the ghost attacks?" Devon asked. How had heard that? "It's been on the news a lot. Ghost sightings here and there. The usual."

"It's pretty normal for us," Sam said.

"Even Danny Phantom?"

Starr could feel Sam's heart and her own quicken. "W-what about him?"

"Isn't it weird for a teen ghost to be terrorizing a town? Do you think maybe he has a secret identity? That he walks among us in secret?"

_Okay, get him out of here now! _Starr nearly screamed. She glanced up at Sam, who was becoming paler. _Don't give anything away._

She shrugged again, shakily.

"Do you know if he does?"

Sam hesitated before she shook her head.

Devon seemed not to notice. He stuffed his notes back in his bag and shouldered it. "Sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I just thought I'd ask."

"That's… okay. Not many people move to this town for that reason," Sam said. "We really don't get a lot of people who ask those sort of questions."

He got off the bed. "Well, I guess I'll be going."

Sam got off, too. Starr moved to the foot of the bed.

"If you ever need any more help, just ask. We could do this again sometime."

"Uh, I don't know. That Fenton kid…"

"Danny," Sam said.

"Yeah, him. He didn't seem too happy about me coming over. He you're boyfriend?"

"No, we're just best friends," Sam said, almost in disgust.

"Do you like him?" Devon asked.

Sam, taken back by the question, blushed and avoided his gaze.

"Cause it seems he's hiding something."

She looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"You tell me."

Sam opened her mouth but no words came out. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't give away Danny's secret. Suddenly she felt something brush against her leg. She looked down. Starr was butting her head against her, her amethyst eyes pleading for Devon to go away. Sam picked her up. "Sorry, Devon, but I have to feed my cat. I'll see you tomorrow."

Devon sighed. "Alright."

"I'll walk you to the door." Sam set Starr down and left with Devon, closing the door behind her. As soon as it was shut completely Starr shot out her wings and launched herself at the nightstand. Her black and purple collar lay there. She usually didn't wear it in the house.

Starr picked it up and hit a small button on the inside of it. It buzzed for a few seconds before a familiar voice sounded on the other end of the line. "Starr?"

"Mac, it's me. Are you alone?"

"Yeah. Danny's in the shower. What's up?"

"We need to talk. Tonight. Meet me at the waterfall in the park."

"Why?"

"Devon."

"What about him? I know Danny doesn't like him."

"He shouldn't. I'm sure who or what he is, ghost or human, but either way he's working for someone. And whoever that is, he's after Danny Phantom."

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><p><strong>OOOH! A TWIST! Kinda.<strong>

**Tell me what you think! I liked how this chapter came out. I actually imagined it a little differently, but after reading it, I was like WHOA! WAY better than I had planned.**

**Hey, did any of you see the new iCarly episode: iLost my Mind? DUDE THEY KISSED! GO SEDDIE! I was originally a Creddie fan, but then Carly and Freddie's chances died when they "took a break."**

**So now I'm all Seddie.**

**Sorry, way off topic. I'm just all excited!**

**Review please! I'm not counting reviews anymore. Just do it. I'd like to hear what you guys think.**

**Thanks!**

**Crystalbearer out.**


	3. Are You Jealous?

**Hey hey people!**

**OMG! I'm uber excited today! Guess why?**

**MY BRACES ARE COMING OFF!**

**These damn things have been in my mouth for three years to the day!**

**I can't wait!**

**But then the doctor said I need a permanent retainer which stays in until my 20s or something... Boo...**

**So enough about me. Oh, just a heads up about this chapter. For those who don't like Mac and Starr, there's quite a lot of them in this chapter. I'm sorry!**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like Butch Hartman to you? (Not with these braces LOL)**

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><p>Mac's blue-gray body shimmered in the moonlight as he flew over town toward the park. His mind drifted to Starr. If what she said was true, then Danny could be in danger. Devon could be a ghost or someone working for the government who's after Danny Phantom. Maybe the Guys in White are acting up again.<p>

When the first couple trees came into view, Mac started to descend. He ducked below the branches and wound his way through the undergrowth. A beautiful waterfall came into view. It brought back great memories.

"_Catch me if you can!" shouted Starr. She zipped across the meadow of the park, Mac in hot pursuit._

_It was just a lazy day where the ghosts decided to take a break from terrorizing the town. Danny and Sam were hanging out at the park and they brought along their pets. Mac, being the annoying dog he is, started a game of Tag with them all. He had tagged Starr, who tagged him back and flew away._

_Starr launched herself away from her pursuer. The twigs tore at her fur, but she kept moving._

"_I can smell you!" called Mac from behind. He was following her scent, and unless she wanted to be tagged again, she would have to find a source of water to throw him off. _

_Using her nose she changed course and bolted to the right. Fast, running water echoed around her. A waterfall must be close. She couldn't measure how far away the water actually was and slipped on the wet rocks while trying to come to a stop. The momentum of her run was too much and she crashed straight threw the waterfall and into a cave behind it. _

_She sat dazed for a few seconds. Then she sat up and looked around. The sunlight glared off the water and lit up the cavern so beautifully it took Starr's breath away. Little crystals embedded into the wall sparkled and made it look like the night sky. She wondered how great it would look at night._

_Mac pushed his way through the water. "Thought you could hide from me, huh?" He laughed and came closer. When she didn't move as he poked her, making her "it", he glanced around. "Wow," he breathed. _

"_I know, right?" Starr said. She moved and faced the dog. "What other waterfall do you know that has a hidden cave behind it?" _

_He laughed again. "None." _

The rushing water came into view and Mac slowed down fully to a stop and landed carefully among the slippery rocks. He looked around for Starr. She wasn't here.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed past the waterfall and into the cave behind. Starr was curled up in the farthest corner. She lifted her head at the sight of him. "You're here."

"Of course," he said. "Anything that puts Danny in danger is by business. Now what about Devon?" He settled down next to her and watched as the crystals reflected small bits of light on her fur.

"I overheard him talking to someone, saying that he couldn't find Phantom, but had an idea about who he could be. He knows he's a halfa." Starr's amethyst eyes were full of worry.

Mac pushed his nose into her fur. "What else did he say?"

"Nothing after that. Sam came out." She explained the whole story to him, Devon getting close to Sam, him asking questions about ghosts and Phantom.

"So it seems like he has a knack for ghosts," Mac said when she was done. He pulled back his head. "Danny was pissed when he came home. He didn't like the idea of Devon going over Sam's house to study. He said he wants to be there to protect her."

Starr sighed. "Devon is ruining our plans!" she said. "How are we supposed to continue with 'Operation: Get Danny and Sam Together' now?"

"Well Danny is showing more signs of loving Sam," said Mac. And it was true. Danny had been in love with Sam since freshman year, though he never knew. Ever since then, Starr and Mac had decided to create a plan to bring them closer. Tucker, being in on it too, had been making bets, knowing full well that this plan would succeed.

"I'm not so sure about Sam anymore. Devon keeps trying to get close to her and it may be affecting her."

"So then keep an eye on her." Mac got to his paws and shook himself. "We may have to follow them to school tomorrow."

Starr nodded. "Sam's going to Danny's on Saturday," she stated.

"Depending on how tomorrow goes, that may or may not happen," Mac said.

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><p>The next day, Sam was at her locker getting her books for her next class. A shadow passed over her and she turned around. Devon was standing there.<p>

"Hey, thanks for yesterday," he said. "I'd never have passed that test if it weren't for you." He held up a piece of paper with the giant red A on it.

"Good job," Sam said. She still felt shaky about when Devon had asked her about Danny. What would he want with Danny Phantom?

They didn't get to say anymore before Danny walked up behind Sam and put an arm around her waist, pulling her away from Devon. Danny cornered her. "What happened yesterday?"

Sam, surprised from the sudden gesture, shook her head to clear it. "Nothing. We just studied and talked."

"About what?"

"Nothing. Just about homework."

"Are you sure? He didn't do anything?"

"Danny, relax. Everything was fine."

"Don't lie to me."

"How could you even think that? Why would I lie to you?" Then realization dawned on her. "Danny Fenton, are you jealous?" Sam said in astonishment.

"What? I am _not _jealous!" Danny exploded.

"Then why do you keep asking me all these questions?" Sam asked.

"I… I just don't want you to get hurt." His baby blue eyes stared deep into her amethyst ones. She could see the worry clouding those deep ocean pools that she loved so much. But she started to see red in her anger. How could Danny not trust her?

"I won't get hurt! Why do you not like Devon?"

"I never said that."

"But the way you keep pulling me away from him…"

Danny's voice got really low. "I just don't trust him," he growled.

"Well I do. But I don't know if I can trust you anymore, Danny. Goodbye." Sam pushed past him and ran to Devon, who snuck and arm around her shoulders and led her away. But not before glancing back over his shoulder to give Danny an evil glare.

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><p>"Great!" Mac shouted. He and Starr were currently floating outside of the windows to Casper High, keeping a close eye on Danny, Sam, and Devon. They had just witnessed the fight between Danny and Sam. "This totally ruins our plans!" he threw his paws in the air in desperation.<p>

"I know. Why would Sam all of a sudden trust Devon and not Danny?" asked Starr.

"Who cares! All we know is that Danny and Sam are fighting and Devon is sticking his ass where it doesn't belong. This wasn't supposed to happen." Mac floated back down the ground. Starr followed him. "I can't believe this is happening. I mean, we finally get them close, then BAM! This random dude pops up outta nowhere and ruins everything."

"He had to come from somewhere, right?" Starr asked.

"You mean like from his mother's womb?" Mac asked sarcastically.

Starr sighed. "No. I think we should start our search with where he came from. That could give us a huge clue to why he's now here."

Mac shrugged. "Sure why not? Let's come back after hours, okay?"

"Of course," Starr said and they touched tails, their own secret handshake.

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><p>"So then she got all pissed and ran away to Devon," Danny said. He had just gotten finished telling Tucker the whole story at lunch.<p>

"Wow. You got it rough, dude," he said, slapping his friend on the back.

"Thanks for the self-esteem boost," Danny huffed.

"Well maybe you should have just left her alone. Maybe Devon isn't such a bad guy."

"You don't get it, Tuck," Danny said. "There's something about him that seems wrong. I can't tell what it is, but I know it's something."

"A ghost?"

"Don't think so. My ghost sense never went off."

"An alien? One of those underground mole-people?"

Danny sighed and shook his head. He continued to eat his lunch in silence, staring around the room. He was looking for Sam who decided not to show up.

_She's probably with Devon, _Danny thought bitterly. He glanced down for just a second when an angelic sound rang in his ears. His head shot up to see Sam, sitting down at another table. Behind her was Devon. He was making her laugh, again.

In all his rage, Danny's eyes went green and he broke his plastic fork.

"Dude," Tucker warned.

Danny jutted his chin toward Sam and Devon, who had chosen a table behind Tucker. The African American turned around slightly and saw them. He turned back and whistled.

"Wow, she must be really mad at you if she's not even sitting with us," he commented.

Danny couldn't help but sit and stare at the raven-haired girl sitting only a few tables away. Now, with a threat to their relationship, he felt like pulling her close and never letting go. He wanted nothing more than to hold her and protect her and make her his. Lately, he had discovered that his "little high school crush" wasn't just a crush, but full-blown love. Yes, Danny Fenton had fallen in love with Samantha Manson, his best friend. How stupid could he be? She was never going to see him the way he sees her. Especially with Devon in the way.

Tucker waved a hand in Danny's face. "Yo, Danny, you alright? You kinda spaced out for a while. The bell already rang."

Danny looked around and sure enough, students were getting up and throwing out their half-eaten lunches, due to rushing to finish their homework.

Danny looked down and saw his own uneaten lunch. He tossed it in the trash and grabbed his bag. Slinging it over his shoulder and giving Sam and Devon one last sad look, he headed out of the cafeteria to his next class.

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><p><strong>I really like this one! It makes me all .<strong>

***Ahem* Anyway.**

**Braces come off. ELA Summer Project DONE. And chapter 3 is up.**

**My day is complete.**

**Crystalbearer out.**


	4. Two Broken Hearts

**Hello world!**

**No more BRACES!**

**My teeth feel weird... Oh well.**

**I know I already put up a chapter today, but I couldn't resist putting this one up too. Chapter 3 seemed kinda crappy, but that's how the cookie crumbles.**

**SO... Here's the next one to make up for it.**

**Disclaimer: How many times do I gotta tell you? I DON'T**** OWN DANNY PHANTOM!**

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><p>Sam walked home alone due to Devon having something very important to do right after school. He had kissed her cheek and ran off.<p>

She really did like him. He was nice and he liked her for her. But every time she would think about him, Danny would pop into her thoughts like he trying to prevent her from think about Devon. She'd shake her head and try to think about Devon again.

Opening her front door, she was greeted with a friendly meow. "Hey, Sam!" Starr was perched on the bottom step of her stairs, which were right across from the front door. "How was school?"

Sam gathered her cat into her arms and walked to her room. Once inside, she tossed her backpack to the side and laid down on her bed.

"Rough day?" asked Starr.

"Danny doesn't trust me," Sam stated.

"Why not?"

"Every time I hang out with Devon he gets jealous."

_At least Danny still likes Sam, _thought Starr. "Because Devon's a bad guy?"

Sam turned over so she was lying on her stomach. "No, he just doesn't like him. Don't know why." She felt tears come to her eyes. "Why would Danny not trust me? We've been friends forever!"

"Maybe that's the reason."

Sam sat up and rubbed her slightly red eyes. "What?"

Starr moved closer to Sam. She rubbed up against her arm. "He feels protective. That's how guy-friends feel when girls have guys drooling over them. He doesn't want you to get hurt."

"Devon wouldn't hurt me," Sam said, almost offended.

"How do you know that?"

Sam pushed Starr off her, almost sending her to the ground. The cat caught herself just in time from being sent sprawling to the floor.

"You don't trust Devon either!" Sam shouted.

"Geez, Sam. Take it easy."

"No! I won't! Why won't you guys just except that I like Devon!" Sam froze. What did she just say? She saw Starr stiffen at her words.

"You… like him?" Starr asked. "What about Danny?"

With a loud sob, Sam fell back onto her bed and cried into her pillow. "I just don't know anymore, Starr. I thought I liked Danny, but then Devon came and he… he was just so nice. I thought that maybe he could help me get over the fact that Danny will never love me." She paused, letting out more heartbroken sobs. "Then Danny started acting like an asshole, but… I think I still love him."

Starr crouched next to Sam's head. "And Devon?"

"Devon comforted me when Danny made me feel like crap."

Starr sighed. It was like a love triangle, Sam's situation. Sam loved both Danny and Devon, but the two boys hate each other. At least, Danny hates Devon, but does Devon hate Danny?

"Devon doesn't like Danny either," Sam said, answering Starr's thoughts. "He told me himself. He doesn't want me hanging around someone who hurts me."

"That's how Danny feels," Starr said.

Sam didn't say anything. She just mumbled something into her pillow. He breathing slowed and soon she was asleep. Starr nuzzled he cheek.

"Don't you worry, Sam. Mac and I will figure this out for you."

* * *

><p>Danny was in a pissed off mood while he walked home. They had already passed Tucker's house so he was now walking alone. He felt like crap. Sam, the girl he loved more than anything, was mad at him. She wouldn't talk to him, wouldn't look at him.<p>

"Nice, Fenton. You just drove away your best friend and the girl of your dreams," he said to himself.

When he got inside his house, Mac was already at the door, waiting. The dog didn't say anything when he sensed Danny was upset. He could practically read his mind.

They both headed upstairs to Danny's room. Dropping his bag on the floor, Danny went to his computer, obviously not wanting to talk. Mac sat on his bed and sadly gazed at his master.

"Danny?"

He didn't answer.

"Danny." It was more of a command then a question. The halfa turned around slowly, and Mac could see that his eyes were puffy. "Oh, Danny…" Mac said. He crawled into his lap and licked his cheek. "Look, it'll make you feel better if you talk about it."

Danny shook his head. "Nothing can help me."

They were silent for a few minutes, and then Mac spoke. "Wanna go for a walk? Get your mind off things?"

Danny didn't answer. But he got up and headed for the door.

"The fresh air will be good for you," Mac said.

Once outside, they headed in the direction of the park. They were almost there when Danny's ghost sense went off.

"That's one way to get your mind off things," he said.

They both ducked into a nearby alley.

"Goin' ghost!" They both turned into their alter egos.

Now, as Danny Phantom and SuperDog, they flew up into the sky. They looked around, expected the ghost to come crashing out of nowhere, but nothing happened. Instead, Mac pointed out a figure slowly making its way across the sky.

The Fright Knight.

Danny and Mac flew up to confront him.

"Fright Knight. What a pleasure meeting you here," Danny said from behind the ghost.

The knight reared his horse around. "Ah. The young phantom."

"What do you want?" Danny demanded. Mac growled.

"What do I want? Nothing."

"Oh please. You don't really expect me to believe you're just taking a stroll through Amity, do you?" Danny crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well I also didn't expect you to be here," the Fright Knight retorted.

"I live here."

"Right. Well…"

Mac flew up in the knight's face. "We'll give you a warning this time, buddy. Get out and go home. Or things will get ugly."

The Fright Knight pushed the dog out of the way and Mac bit him in the arm. He pulled his arm away.

"Good boy," Danny said. Mac retreated to float behind Danny. "Now, I hope you take that as a warning."

"Look, ghost boy, I'll tell you what I'm doing just as long as you don't send that mutt after me."

Mac tried to lunge at him again for the insult, but Danny caught him in time. "Deal."

The Fright Knight took a deep breath. "I'm looking for someone. A client of mine. He was supposed to report back to me four hours ago, but never did. I thought he was still out doing his job, but he was still supposed to keep me posted."

Danny nearly laughed. Nah, scratch that. He and Mac burst out laughing. "You, the Fright Knight, need people to work for you?"

"This is a low, dude, even for you," Mac said.

"I don't have time for this," the knight muttered to himself. He dug his heels into the sides of his horse and galloped away. He was a good half-mile before they caught up with him again. Mac was the first. He floated in his path, blocking the way.

"Alright, alright. Geez, chill, man. We didn't mean anything by it."

The Fright Knight wasn't amused. "I don't only come to terrorize towns on that one petty little holiday. I'm allowed to leave the Ghost Zone as I wish."

"Not if I say you can't," Danny said. He flew next to Mac.

"I just want to find my… client. Then I'll go home. I swear."

"If you think that-"

"Just trust him, Danny," Mac said. "He's not lying. I can tell when people lie. I can see it in their eyes. Let him go."

Danny glared at his dog like he might kick him out on the streets. Then he turned. "Fine. You're free to go." He jerked his head to the side, indicating that he should go.

The knight bowed his head a little. The cracked the reins and flew off.

As his figure was fading from sight, Danny chuckled. "Client, my ass." Then he flew back down to his house. That was enough excitement for the day.

* * *

><p>"That was close," the Fright Knight breathed as he landed his horse in the dense part of the Amity Park forest. He dismounted and looked around. This was the rendezvous point that they had decided to meet at.<p>

Four hours. FOUR DAMN HOURS he waited for the call from his "client" and he never got it. What could you possibly be doing that would make you forget?

A rustle in the bushed indicated another presence. His horse snorted as a shadow-covered figure emerged from behind them. "Master," it said.

"Ah. Finally. Do you know how long I've waited?"

"I'm sorry. I was… busy." The shadow hung his head in shame.

"I see. And you just let me wonder where you are for four hours?"

"I told you. I was busy and I was doing some more research."

"But no call…?"

"I… forgot."

The Fright Knight sighed. "I expect better from you, Devon."

The shadow stepped forward, letting the little light that got through to fall on his face. "I know. And I'm sorry."

"You should be." The Fright Knight laughed. "Letting that Goth girl get in the way of our plans." He placed his hand on Devon's shoulder, looking him straight in the eye. "Don't let her distract you. Keep your eye on the prize."

Devon cleared his throat. "Speaking of which, I have an idea about who the ghost boy might be."

"Oh do you now?" This was going to be good. "And who might that be?"

"That kid, Daniel Fenton."

The Fright Knight laughed, a deep rumble that came from his chest. "Correct."

"You knew?" Devon asked in astonishment.

The old knight laughed again. "Of course! I wanted you to figure it out for yourself."

"But why?"

"Because I can't always give you everything," he said.

Devon huffed. "Fine. But what do I do now?"

The Fright Knight turned and mounted his horse again. "Right now, we wait. To get at Danny Phantom, we need to find his weakness." He looked at Devon. "Keep that necklace on. Remember, the wearer can't be scented by other ghosts."

"I haven't taken it off," Devon said. He fingered the silver skull. "But, to find his weakness, won't I need to get real close to him? He already doesn't like me."

"And why is that?"

"Because I've been hanging out with the Goth." Devon flinched, as he expected to be hit for bringing up her again. But instead he saw that the knight was sitting calmly on his horse, staring into space, wearing an evil smile.

"So, he is jealous of you…" he mumbled. "Devon. Take back what I said about the girl. Feel free to spend time with her all you want."

"Really?" Devon almost sounded too hopeful. "I mean, yes, master."

"This is part two of our plan. Make the boy jealous. Slowly weaken him from the inside out. Make him feel alone, unloved, and unhappy. Do all that and report back to me. I'll be waiting."

Devon bowed to him, now feeling confident he was given another mission, one that he would enjoy.

The Fright Knight waved his hand in a dismissing gesture. "Go and do not fail me, my son."

"I won't, Father," Devon said.

* * *

><p><strong>WHOA! Even I didn't see that coming!<strong>

**Nah, just messing with ya. I wrote it after all.**

**You like? Hate? LOVE?**

**Tell me, I don't care.**

**Uhhh...**

**My teeth feel smooth.**

**Crystalbearer out.**


	5. They're WHAT?

**HI!**

**Who else loves the show "My Wife and Kids"?**

**Its so funny!**

**Anyway, I actually like this one a lot. It came out pretty good.**

**A lot of Mac and Starr in to, but this is the critical part of the story that I needed them in.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this awesome show. I do own Mac and Starr. MINE.**

* * *

><p>The moon rose slowly over Amity Park, illuminating the large buildings in the most industrial part of town. Clouds drifted in random places in the sky. The wind blew gently, making the trees shake slightly. Down below, people were driving home from work, or going to their night shifts. Either way, the roads had cars coming and going along them every few minutes.<p>

Traveling along the side of the road were two animals. Mac and Starr were silently walking on the sidewalk. They didn't speak, just gazed around at the tall houses looming over them. Every time a car would speed by, they'd launch themselves into a nearby alley to hide. They didn't want anyone to call Animal Control. Starr had retracted her wings to draw less attention.

They stopped at a crossroad, watching the cars zoom by. When the light turned green, they crossed, mixed in with a few other people who didn't notice them. They continued down the street until Casper High School came into view.

"Finally," Mac breathed. "I don't see why we couldn't have just flown there."

Starr flicked him with her tail. "People tend to see more at night. Flying could get us in trouble." She walked ahead of him, keeping a fast pace to get to their destination sooner.

"You and your backwards logic," Mac said.

Starr lifted her tail high in the air and strutted the next few steps. "My reality's just different than yours," she said. "And I just wanted to see the scenery."

"Of this run-down city? Please, the only thing worth seeing is Vlad's mansion. And he won't let a single soul near it!"

Soon the parking lot of the school was under their feet. They ran the last couple meters and stopped at the doors. Starr unleashed her wings and flew up to the doorknob and turned it.

"Locked," she whispered. She dropped back to the ground.

"Pft. Of course it is," Mac said. "So, we just bust it down?"

"Yes, let's bust down the front doors to a high school during the night. Have you no sense of stealth and secrecy?" Yes, Starr had come from a place where the feline's she grew up with learned the art of stealth and patience. Obviously, Mac had none of it.

"What's wrong with that?" Mac asked.

Starr launched for the handle again and jabbed a claw into it. After a few seconds, a click sounded through the quiet night air. She turned the handle and the door swung open. "Oh, nothing, Mac. Just remember that I have my own personal set of lock pickers." She held up a paw.

"Right," Mac mumbled.

They both wandered into the dark hallway. All of the lights were off except for a few on the other end of the hall.

"You think maybe someone's still here?" Mac asked. They were walking towards the light.

"I don't know. Maybe a janitor?"

"Why would a janitor be here at midnight?"

"He could have taken the late shift. But I doubt it takes over nine hours to clean a school." Starr stopped when they passed a hallway the led to the left. All the lights were off.

"That one's off," Mac commented.

Motioning with her tail, Starr crept forward, continuing down the length of the hall. When at last they came into the light, they noticed only one light was on, just above the door that read ADMINISTRATION OFFICE.

The two animals glanced at each other before Mac jumped up to the handle and slowly turned it. It was unlocked. He dropped back down and pushed open the door with his nose.

The inside of the office was huge. About ten chairs were set off to the side when you entered so that kids could sit while they waited. Past the waiting area, three desks sat in front of the windows. Each had a name of the three school secretaries on it. To the right and left of the desks were doorways, the left one leading to the Guidance Office, the other leading down a hallway. Walking down it, they passed the Vice Principal's Office, a bathroom, and a printing room filled with all kinds of technology that Tucker would have died and gone to heaven. The last room sat at the end of the hall. The door read PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE in big bold letters.

Starr felt like a kid being sent to the principal for shooting spitballs or something.

That door was open too. It swung open easily, like it was used to being opened and closed so many times. The cat took a seat in the principal's huge desk chair and tapped a few buttons on the computer on the desk. "Keep watch, Mac."

"Yes, ma'am," he said jokingly and settled down near the doorway.

A screen popped up asking for a username and password. The username was already typed in, being that the principle was the only one who used this computer, but what could the password be?

Starr typed in a few words that came to mind, but none worked. Pissed, she wrenched her collar off her neck and pressed a small button on it. A USB cable popped out and she shoved it into the machine underneath the desk.

She and Mac's collars had been designed by Tucker. He's added all kinds of cool gadgets and gizmos that could be used in a tight situation. A password breaker was one of them.

Immediately, a new screen popped up. It started self-typing all kinds of numbers and letters, trying to figure out the password possibilities.

"You get in yet?" Mac whispered.

"Not yet," Starr answered. "I gotta break the code to get in." Finally, a low beeping sound indicated it was done. The natural background of the principal's account showed up. A picture of him and his family was set as the background.

"I'm in."

Mac bounded up to join her. "Cool, now open the list of high school students."

A few clicks later, a program opened up containing a list of all students who attended Casper High and their personal information.

"Now, look for Devon," Mac said.

Starr scrolled down. "What's his last name?" She noticed several Devon's, all in different grades.

"Um, like Wright or something. White maybe?"

Starr eliminated a few names. "Knight?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's it!" Mac said excitedly.

Starr opened his folder, containing all of his current information. "Hmm… Not too shabby a student," she murmured.

"Well it's hard to act smart when you're actually dumb," Mac said.

"You pull it off nicely."

Feigning shock, Mac hit Starr on the shoulder.

"Only kidding," she said, rubbing her now aching shoulder.

"Just keep looking. It has to say something in there that could give us a clue about him."

Scrolling down more, the only think that showed onscreen were his current grades from this year, the classes he was taking (which were the same as Sam's), his after school activities (none), his graduating year (same as Sam, Danny, and Tucker's), date of birth, and finally his personal information.

Clicking through his personal files, Starr saw that his parent's names were not available. "Hey, isn't that weird?" She pointed a claw at the N/A symbols that were typed next to MOTHER and FATHER.

"He has no parents?" Mac asked.

"Maybe he was adopted," Starr said. "But then it would show his foster parents' names."

"Well what about a home address? Or a telephone number?"

Looking again, Starr saw nothing. "Nope. Not there."

"Weird. What about his past information? Like what school he went to and where he used to live."

Starr found the button for PAST INFO and clicked on it. The whole page looked blank. No previous schools or homes, and there was no record of him ever having been in any sort of educational place. The only thing that did show was a blurry picture of Devon as a small child being held by someone wearing a suit of armor. The person's head was cut off at the top of the picture, but Mac and Starr recognized the engravings on the metal. The picture had been Picnik'd to say on the top: My Son.

They stared at the picture for what seemed like hours, and only one thing was on their minds. Devon was the Fright Knight's son.

* * *

><p>Friday seemed to come faster than expected. That was the last thing Danny wanted. He didn't want to be reminded that Sam was with Devon, and that she could never love the poor little halfa just because they were best friends.<p>

Danny slammed his hand down on the buzzing alarm clock, nearly breaking it in two. He got dressed and headed downstairs, Mac following at his heels. He fed Mac and got his own breakfast.

Neither of them spoke. Danny was confused as to why Mac was so quiet. He was usually running around and barking up a storm at 6:30 in the morning. That was the least of his troubles. Danny pushed that thought out of his mind as he grabbed his backpack.

"Later, Mac," he said. Mac lifted his head up from where it lay on the couch.

"Yeah. See ya." He tried to sound like he was exhausted (which wasn't hard), but it was hard knowing what he knew.

Danny shrugged it off and closed the door behind him.

By force of habit, Danny had walked to the Manson Mansion and was about to knock on the door when a thought hit him. _Is she still mad at me?_

He brought his hand down to his side and stepped back. Probably yes, she still was mad at him, and that broke his heart. But they were best friends, and that meant that fights were normal. That this would blow over. Sure they fought before, but those fights had never torn at his heart so badly he felt he needed a new one entirely. No, this one was too serious for them to just forget about and go back to being friends.

Danny held back tears as he trudged down the street to school. He didn't even realize he left Sam's house. He was too busy thinking that they might never be friends again.

All because of _him._

Devon.

What an asshole. What a complete and utter idiot that guy was. Here Danny was, finally realizing his feelings for Sam, and this guy shows up and ruins it. _Where did he even come from anyway? _Danny thought. He ran a hand through his messy hair.

Soon, a bulky shadow blocked his path. Danny tried to swerve around it, but it went in front of him again.

"Where do you think you're going, Fen-turd?" an all-too familiar voice said. Danny looked up and was met with Dash's gaze.

"Not in the mood," Danny mumbled and shoved past the jock again.

This time, Dash let him pass, but grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, knocking his books out of his hands. Danny sighed.

"You seem kind of mellow for a guy who just got dumped," Dash said. "And whose girlfriend already moved on."

Danny's head shot up. "What do you know about it?" he snarled. When would Dash ever learn that they were not a couple? _And probably never would be, _Danny thought.

Dash held up his hands in defense. "You haven't seen them? The Goth and that new kid, Derek or something, are going out now."

_**WHAT!**_

Danny stared at Dash in astonishment. "No…" he whispered. "They couldn't be."

As if on cue, Sam and Devon arrived, Sam sitting shotgun in Devon's car. They walked toward the school, hand in hand. Then they stopped on the stairs for Devon to kiss her cheek. Danny felt the anger inside him boiling, and if he didn't do something about it soon, he would burst.

Beside him, Dash laughed. "See? I wasn't lying. And look how happy they are together. She's probably happier then she was with y-"

"Shut up!" Danny punched Dash square in the jaw. The jock fell down, his hand flying up to cover the bruise that was now forming.

"Fen-toenail! I'm gonna kill you for that!" Dash struggled to regain his balance and tipped over again when he swiped at Danny, who dodged agilely.

"I'd like to see you try," Danny spat and then walked into the school, leaving a topsy-turvy Dash on the grass.

* * *

><p><strong>Abrupt ending, yeah I know.<strong>

**It was actually longer, but I had to shorten it because it was WAY too long. It actually makes more sense this way, I guess.**

**SOOOOO...**

**Please Review. I wanna know what you think.**

**Hey, I have a question. Do any of you guys have summer homework that seems like an unreasonable amount? I do. They gave us two months to do two projects. Take away all the days that you can't do the work because you hang out with other people and you go on vacation and you only have about a month, give or take a few days. That's still not enough. I just finished one a few days ago. It took me THAT long.**

**Sorry about that. I just wanted to know. I kinda ranted...**

**REVIEW!**

**Crystalbearer out.**


	6. Second Thoughts

**Hey guys. Sorry for the wait.**

**I've been doing a lot of work lately and hadn't had time to post anything. AND to to it off, earlier today I strained a joint in my foot so its really hard to walk now. I really need the master the art of walking down the stairs. :)**

**Anyway, enjoy this chapter. Its a little angsty. Sorry. The whole story is kinda angsty, but that's just how I roll.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom...**

* * *

><p>As soon as Danny passed the doors into the school, the whispers started. Student would pass by and mutter something about him and Sam no longer being together; that they broke up; that Devon stole her from him. Some of them were true while others were plain made up crap that came from who-knows-where?<p>

_C'mon, only one more period to go then I can leave this hell-hole, _Danny's mind screamed as he watched the ticking clock in his 8th period class.

He'd been able to avoid Sam and Devon throughout the day, whether or not they were in the same class as him. Once or twice he caught himself staring at Sam, wondering what her hair smelled like today or wanting to know if she could hang out with him. But then he'd shake his head and pay attention to the teacher.

_Screw our plans for Saturday._

_Brrriiinnnggg!_

The bell sounded throughout the halls. Students and teacher began packing their things for the last period. Some girls ran past Danny squealing about a new pop star that just emerged. Tucker would shake his head sadly. He hated watching his two best friends fight like this. There had to be some way to fix this.

He and Danny headed for their lockers, which unfortunately was near Sam's. Danny packed his thing quickly, hoping to be out of there before Sam arrived.

He turned to leave when a voice called to him, "Danny!"

It came from the open window next to the lockers. He moved over to it and peered out. Mac floated a few feet down, green eyes looking into Danny's blue ones.

"What?" Danny hissed. "You couldn't wait till I got home?"

"No, this is important!" Mac said. He moved up so that his head was just below the windowsill. "I should have told you this, this morning. I was going to wait for you to come home, but I got the news about Sam and um… you know."

"Can we get to the point?" Danny said angrily.

"Right, sorry." Mac shifted. He told Danny the whole story about him and Starr sneaking into the school late at night to find out stuff about Devon.

"Okay, and where is Starr?" Danny asked.

"Right here," the she-cat said. She landed next to Mac. "Sorry I'm late."

Mac nodded to her and continued, "Breaking and entering the school wasn't the worst part."

"So what was?" Danny asked.

"Finding out that Devon is the Fright Knight's son is," Mac answered and shut his mouth, waiting for the outburst he knew was coming.

Danny didn't answer at first. He wasn't even sure if he knew he heard Mac right. He leaned against the wall, his eyes staring into nothing. Then an angelic laugh brought his attention elsewhere. He turned and became angrier than ever. Devon was with Sam at her locker.

Hearing that he was the son of the Fright Knight seemed to open Danny's eyes. He now saw the slight resemblance between the two, the way they talked or walked or how they acted when they were annoyed or in charge. Danny saw it all. He didn't know what the skull necklace was for, but that didn't matter.

The anger boiled inside him. He was reaching his limit.

"Danny?" asked Mac. He popped his head up above the windowsill.

That's when Danny snapped.

It all happened within a split second, so no one saw him change. All everyone knew was that Danny Phantom was now floating in front of Devon, fist raised and being held back by Mac. The dog blocked his fist with a paw and was staring into Danny's eyes. They looked darker green than usual. Starr was floating behind Mac, near Devon and Sam, ready to protect them. Devon had Sam pushed behind him, protectively.

"Phantom," Mac warned. "Don't."

Whispers were heard around the hall. "Is that Danny Phantom? What's he doing here? Why is he attacking Devon?" They swirled around him, filling his ears. Paulina was of course in the front of the crowd drooling over the phantom, but she said nothing.

Danny tried to block out the sounds and swing another fist, but Mac caught this one too. "Phantom." He said it more forcefully.

Danny was breathing heavily. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to let loose another punch at the boy holding Sam. But he met her amethyst gaze and fell apart.

The crowd that surrounded him gasped as he let out a frustrated scream and flew out of the building with his intangibility powers. They stayed quiet for a few minutes. Then when the bell rang, they seemed to forget about what happened and moved on with their day. With a few reassuring words from Mac, the hallway cleared out within seconds.

Mac and Starr turned to Devon and Sam. "Hey, look, I'm sorry for the way Phantom acted," Mac said glaring at Devon. "He's been a little distressed lately." He looked at Sam. She nodded, still scared at the way Danny acted.

"We'd better go find him, SuperDog," Starr said.

"Right. Hey, kid," Mac said. "Cool necklace. Where'd you get it?" He winked at Starr as he and Devon moved off to the side to talk.

Starr floated next to Sam and put a paw on her shoulder. "You know why Danny acted like that, right?"

Sam shook her head, still too afraid to speak.

"He's confused and upset. At you. And at himself."

Sam seemed to find her voice. "Why?"

Starr glanced back at Devon. "Why do you think?" She turned back. "You've had a crush on him since forever, and now you let some guy get in between you two! He's upset because he doesn't want you to get hurt."

"We went over this already."

"No, Sam," Starr growled. "My point is, is that Danny doesn't trust Devon, yet you do, and that's tearing at his heart. Mac told me. Danny's practically been crying over you."

Sam stared wide-eyed. "Danny… cried? Over me?"

"Pretty much."

Sam took a step back. Danny cried for her. For _her. _No guy has ever done that. Does that mean he likes her? No, not after they fought the other day. And he doesn't trust her. After all they'd been through!

Sam shook her head.

Starr sighed. "Would you believe me if I told you Devon is the Fright Knight's son?"

Sam was quiet for a moment. "You're lying," she whispered.

"Enough with the questions!" Devon yelled from where he and Mac were standing. "We're late as it is. Come on, Sam." He gestured for her to come.

"I don't lie," Starr whispered to Sam.

Sam broke away from her grip. "But Danny does." With that, she turned and took Devon's hand and kissed him passionately and lovingly. Danny would have had a heart attack if he saw it.

Mac flew to Starr who floated in the air, a blank look on her face. Never before had the two fought like that. Now she knew how bad Sam must be feeling if her fight was as bad as theirs.

"Starr," Mac said, pulling on her arm. "We need to find Danny."

(INSERT LINEBREAK)

Mac didn't need anyone to tell him where Danny was. The loud, angry sounds coming from the park gave enough of a clue. He and Starr flew toward the sound.

Nearly getting hit by a fallen tree, they landed on the ground a few feet behind Danny who was taking his anger out on a tree. A path of destruction through the woods showed just how pissed off Danny was.

"Dude, don't kill the whole forest," Mac said, trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't help. "So what if the trees die!" Danny said, whipping around to face his dog. "It's not like it'll make a difference."

Mac slowly placed a paw on a fallen log. "Every tree counts, Danny."

"Not to me." Spinning around, Danny kicked a tree and it toppled over, taking down a few others with it. With all the noise, someone was bound to hear.

"Danny, please. Don't get angry," Starr pleaded.

An ectobeam shot out of Danny's hand, frying a nearby bush. "Why shouldn't I? I have every right to be."

Mac and Starr exchanged looks. There was no point in arguing with him. He was as stubborn as a mule.

Danny leaned against a tree and slid down so he was sitting on the ground. He put his head in his hands. "I should have known. How could I have been so stupid?" He shook his head. "He even looks like the Fright Knight!"

Mac nuzzled his arm. "None of us knew."

"You did. You could have told me this morning! I could have saved her before…"

No, he didn't want to say it. It was too painful. Deep in his heart, he'd always love Sam Manson, even if she was with another guy. It hurt him to know that them being friends could ruin his whole life and that her finding someone who turns out to be evil could rip them apart. The whole thing sucked. Why couldn't he be a normal kid? Then he wouldn't have to deal with this.

But he wouldn't leave Sam to be tortured by a guy who she barely knew.

No, he would protect her, no matter the consequences.

Barely being able to stand, Danny lifted himself off the ground and floated a few feet in the air. Mac and Starr followed.

"I know your mad and everything, but sitting around a punching trees isn't going to help Sam, you know," Mac said.

That word hurt him. _Sam._

"We might as well get some answers from someone who gives none." Starr gestured in the direction of the Fenton Works. "The Fright Knight might give in when we interrogate him."

That made Danny smile. It would give him something to focus on and he might be able to solve this mystery once and for all.

(INSERT LINEBREAK)

School had just ended and Sam and Devon were walking home. When he had asked her out this morning, she had been shocked but was thrilled either way. But that didn't shock her half as bad from the sudden appearance of Danny Phantom. It had shaken the whole school just to see how angry and menacing he looked. But it scared Sam the most.

The last time she'd seen him like that was when he was fighting his evil older self. But that wasn't half as bad as he had been about an hour ago.

Sam glanced up at the sky a few times, half-hoping to see Danny, and half-hoping not to.

With Devon standing beside her, holding her hand, she felt happier then she had in weeks. But something was missing. There was something she usually felt when Danny was with her, but she never felt it with Devon.

Was it love?

Starr's words echoed in her mind, _Would you believe me if I told you Devon is the Fright Knight's son?_

Was it true? Was Starr telling her the truth and she just not smart enough to believe it? Sam snuck a glance at Devon. The way he talked and acted was close to the Fright Knight. It was almost scary.

But maybe the similarities are just a coincidence. Maybe Starr _was _lying. Or maybe she was telling the truth.

Maybe.

There was always a chance she was. And then Danny would be right. And she would be wrong.

Sam didn't realize her thoughts had taken up most of the walk home. Her mansion loomed over them, the shadow making Devon look even more like the Fright Knight.

She shook that thought out of her head. "Would you like to come in?" she asked. Might as well be nice.

Devon smiled. "Sure. I just need to make a quick phone call then I'll be right in."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it kinda ended like that. I had to cut it off so it wasn't too long.<strong>

**So now Danny knows about Devon and his evil ways. Coolio.**

**Next chapter will be up maybe tomorrow, depending on my foot and its stupid joint problem.**

**If not, then... sorry. Wednesday? I don't know. We'll see.**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Crystalbearer out.**


	7. If You Ever Want To See Her Again

**Wow... Look at the time.**

**Sorry about the delay. We've been having some trouble lately.**

**If any of you live on the east coast of America, then you may have gone through that earthquake that hit Virginia. I live in New York, so it wasn't really that bad, but I still felt that aftershocks. Scariest thing ever. And now we have Hurricane Irene coming. It hasn't hit us yet but it will this weekend. I'm pretty freaked out about it. AND to top it all off, my iPod isn't working! Damn technology!**

**RANT OVER.**

**Disclaimer: Do we really even need these things? We all obviously don't own anything on this site. But (so I don't get in trouble) I do not own Danny Phantom and never will. THERE, YOU HAPPY?**

* * *

><p>The Ghost Zone glowed an ugly green, like it was designed just for the moments that lay ahead of them.<p>

It was easy to fly around the Ghost Zone because Danny knew where everything was. Well, mostly everything. But trying to track down a ghost on horseback that was as easily hidden in this world as he was on Earth during Halloween was a tough task. Danny knew that he could waste no time. He ignored the gasps of surprise from ghosts that he fought in the past as he zoomed past them all.

Knowing the Fright Knight, his castle would be in the darkest part of the Ghost Zone.

And that's exactly where it was.

A large stone castle floated ahead of them, illuminating everything within a mile radius. That's how they spotted it. The light it gave off was a harsh green and black mixture, making the castle even more menacing.

The trio paused for a moment to recover before flying to the tallest tower of the castle. From what Danny learned about the Middle Ages was that the kings always lived in the tallest towers for protection. But one hit from a catapult or a trebuchet would bring it down. Danny would have to remember that the next time he needed to attack the Fright Knight's castle.

There were no glass on the windows, so it was easy to see and hear everything that was going in inside. A voice traveled out of the window before they even reached it.

"So, from what you've told me, he knows who you are." The Fright Knight's voice, definitely.

"Yes, that's right. He tried to attack me in the middle of the school hallway." Devon. It must be.

"And you did nothing, I hope," said the Fright Knight.

"Yes. I acted as if I had no idea what was going on."

"You had the necklace on?"

"Yes."

"Yet he still knew…" the Fright Knight's voice trailed off. It was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke again, "And what of the girl?"

"She suspects nothing."

Danny snorted. Of course she doesn't.

"Good, very good."

Danny, Mac, and Starr flew up quietly so they could get a good look. Devon was nowhere in the room; the Fright Knight was talking to him through a screen that projected from the skull's eyes that was on his sword hilt. The room was very large. A bed was off on one wall, pictures of the Ghost Zone hung all around the room, and a desk was placed at the other end of the room. There was no door; ghosts didn't need one.

From where Devon was standing, he looked to be in front of Sam's house. Danny thought of Sam and heart hurt again. He thought of how much danger she was in with Devon standing outside her house. He wanted to punch the guy more than ever, to rush back and destroy him where he stands. But he was already here so he might as well complete his task.

The Fright Knight and Devon talked for a few minutes more and Danny fidgeted more and more with each passing minute.

"Quiet," Mac warned him.

He took a deep breath and let his muscles relax. He might need them later.

It sounded like they were finishing. "Devon, my son, we cannot wait any longer. You must act quickly before the ghost boy strikes again. You know what you must do."

Devon nodded, smiled, and then laughed. "She won't know what hit her."

Then the screen went blank and the roomed turned darker, if that was possible. Danny tried to get to the window, but Mac grabbed his arm. "Wait. If we show up now, he'll suspect we heard him."

They waited a few minutes then entered the room. The Fright Knight had his back to them, so he didn't see them enter.

"Fright Knight," Danny said.

The knight spun around. His eyes narrowed. "Well, what do we have here? Three trespassers. Do you know what I do to trespassers?"

"No, and we don't really care," Starr said. "We want to know what you're planning."

The knight laughed. "Planning? Foolish cat, I'm planning nothing."

_Smart of him to say "I'm" and not "we," _thought Mac. "That is such a lie. Remember? I can tell when people are lying." He crossed his arms and glared at the knight.

"Tell me what you're up to!" Danny yelled.

"Make me." The Fright Knight drew his sword and swung at Danny, who ducked and rolled to the side. Mac and Starr went the other way, circling around to surround the knight. Danny punched him and he went flying into the wall. His sword clattered out of his hand.

"I said," Danny growled, grabbing the Fright Knight by his armor, "tell me what you're up to."

With two animals ferociously snarling at him, the knight gulped hard. He hesitated a little too long for Danny and he shook him. "TELL ME!"

"You really want to know?" The knight chuckled and shot Danny off of him with kick in the chest. Mac and Starr launched themselves at the Fright Knight but he grabbed his sword just in time and swung it in an arc. The two animals stopped just before the blade could reach them. Then he whistled and his winged horse appeared. He mounted it and it reared up on its hind legs. "Then you'll have to find out on your own." With a wave of a sword, he was gone.

Danny screamed in frustration, letting loose ectoblasts all over the room. Pictures were burned, the desk shattered and the bed crumbled. He took a deep breath to calm himself. Then a thought came to him. Sam's in trouble. What had Devon said? _She won't even know what hit her._

"Sam!" Danny cried and he took off into the sky, heading straight for the portal with Mac and Starr at his heels.

* * *

><p>Sam's house was dark, considering her parents were barely ever home. She had always been left like this as a child, always having to fend for herself. But that's what best friends were for right? To help you and guide you and stand beside you when you are alone… right? Well Tucker could offer all of that, but right now Sam wanted, no, needed Danny's comfort. But he hated her.<p>

Right?

Sam moved to the window to peek at Devon. He wasn't there. Sam waited a few minutes. Maybe he walked away to make the call. Or maybe he left. Nah, he wouldn't do that.

Sam walked to the front door to go search for him when she heard a knock. She opened the door and saw Devon, phone in hand, absentmindedly watching the sky.

"Hey, there you are. Come on in," she said cheerfully. Devon nodded to her then entered the house. Sam flipped on a few light switches to illuminate the room. "So, what do you want to do?"

Devon smiled at her and took her hand. He led her through her house, up the stairs and into her room. When they got in there, he pushed her up against one of her walls and kissed her. He started to push his tongue into her mouth but she didn't grant him entrance.

Sam on the other hand, was surprised at his sudden moves. Sure, they had kissed before, but never a heavy make-out session like this. Devon's kisses weren't nearly as good as Danny's and they didn't have the same feel as his either. What feeling would you call that?

Oh yeah, _love._

But Sam melted into his arms anyway. They stayed like that for a while before things really got heated. After successfully getting his tongue into her mouth, he laid her on the bed and crawled on top of her, not once breaking the kiss. His hand trailed along her side and Sam stiffened.

"Devon," she warned.

He just shook his head and stuck his cold hand under her shirt, caressing her stomach. Sam sighed, unable to control herself. No way could she let him go too far. She broke the kiss.

"Devon, please," she begged.

His eyes darkened. "Quiet." He kissed her and tried to pull off her shirt, but she pushed him and rolled out from underneath him.

"Devon, please, don't do this."

"Oh, come on, Sam. Just let me do what I have to do, and you won't get hurt. You won't even feel it, I promise." He lunged at her again and pinned her against the bed. He kissed his way down her neck while she wriggled against the bed.

"No! Devon!" Sam cried. She brought her hand up to hit him, but he caught it before she touched him.

"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" He laughed. "Then we'll do it the hard way." He reached for his skull necklace. The green eyes were glowing and projecting a harsh light from them. Devon shone them in Sam's eyes and she immediately fell unconscious. He caught her before she hit the ground. "This was too easy," he said.

* * *

><p>By the time Danny, Mac and Starr had reached Sam's house, she and Devon were gone. The trio phased in through the roof and landed in Sam's room.<p>

"Ugh," Mac groaned. "It smells so much like Devon in here I'm going to be sick." He sniffed the ground then gagged.

"Yeah, you're right. Devon was here," Starr said. She sat on Sam's bed. "And Sam was too. Both at the same time."

Danny was too busy gazing around the room to listen. His eyes caught the faint glimmer of a picture frame of him, Sam, and Tucker at age 14. His eyes teared up. _If only we knew at that time, then maybe I would have told Sam sooner," _he thought.

"Hey, Danny, wake up!" Mac waved his paw in Danny's face. "We're going to trace their steps around the room to find out what happened." He floated over to Starr who was waiting patiently by the door. They nodded to each other and carefully started sniffing their way around the room, Starr following Sam's scent and Mac, Devon's.

They came to the wall and stopped. "Their scents are mixed together," Starr stated. They next came to the bed. "Here, too." Then the other wall. "And also here."

Mac lifted his head. "Mixed scents come from…" He stopped and glanced at Danny. "…kissing."

Danny's eyes flashed green. "I'll kill him," he muttered.

"So, now what?" asked Starr. She turned around and saw a white piece of paper sitting on Sam's nightstand. She picked it up. "Guys."

Danny and Mac came over. Starr handed the note to Danny.

It read, _My, my, my, wasn't that easy. I mean, really, shouldn't she have put up more of a fight? A weak one, she is. But I must say, if you find this note then know that she is still alive… at the moment. I won't do anything to rash to her. She's so delicate, you know. Like glass. Could crack at any time. And she's close to cracking. If you want her to "stay intact" then come to Warehouse 13 on the far abandoned side of town. We'll make a trade. You for her. Tell no one._

And signed at the bottom in what looked to be like blood, was Devon's name.

Danny choked on his own words.

"It's written in blood," Mac said. He sniffed it. "Sam's blood."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, kinda my favorite chapter so far.<strong>

**I apologize for any spelling or grammer errors you may have found. I try to edit them before posting, but being only human (I'm assuming) I tend to miss some. If you haven't found any, then YAY for me.**

**GIANT cliffhanger, sorry. All will be solved in due time, as well as posted. Not so sure about this weekend. We may lose power for a couple days and I won't be able to get on the internet. :(**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**So, wish all of the East Coast luck and if you live along the East Coast, then I wish YOU luck. :)**

**Stay safe.**

**Crystalbearer out.**


	8. Hero? Or Villain?

**OHMYGOD.**

**I am sooooo sorry for not posting in a while. Hurricane Irene really knocked me off schedule. I didnt have power for FIVE days. Yeah, five. No TV or computer. GAH!**

**Anyway, I got power back Thursday night, but I totally forgot about this because I was so excited to have my power back. And yesterday I had a BBQ and a sleepover. So NOW I finally got to posting this.**

**YAY!**

**Disclamier: I do not own Danny Phantom :(**

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><p>Sam didn't know how long she'd been out for. Minutes, maybe even hours? The last thing she remembered was Devon trying to kiss her then he whipped out his necklace and… Sam couldn't remember the rest.<p>

A sudden jerking movement made her open her eyes. She was draped over something, being flown high in the air. A rhythmic, pulsing beating sound came from somewhere next to her. She looked and was immediately hit in the back on the head. "Wha…?"she started to say.

"Quiet!" a voice hissed. Sam turned her head and caught a glance of Devon. He hit her again.

"Devon?" she asked. She looked down again and noticed they were flying on a horse, similar to the Fright Knight's, except it was just smaller and a dark gray instead of black.

"I said quiet, babe."

"Don't call me that!" Sam started thrashing around. Maybe he would land the horse and she could escape. But when she moved her legs, she found they were tied together as well as her hands.

"I'll call you whatever I want," Devon snarled. He cracked the reins and horse flew faster. Trees and houses zipped by under them. From what Sam could see of the street signs, they were headed for Danny's house. She was about to ask why they were going there, but stopped in fear of getting hit again. She clamped her mouth shut.

Devon smiled. "Good. Stay silent." He dug his heels into the horse's sides and it did a nosedive toward the ground, turning intangible at the same time. At the last second, it spread its wings and glided just above the roofs of the houses. Upon seeing the glowing signs of Fenton Works, he lashed the reins again and they did another dive, this time going straight through the house and into the basement.

They landed right in front of the Portal. Devon internally cheered that the older Fenton's weren't here to stop them. He pressed a few buttons on the control panel and the Portal doors slid open. He mounted his horse again and they galloped through the door, it closing quickly behind them.

Devon guided his horse to another portal. Through it Sam could see the warehouses on the far side of town. Numbers in bright red were painted on the doors of them. The one that they were headed for was Warehouse 13.

They passed through the swirling vortex and appeared in the street across from the warehouses. They crossed the steer and entered Warehouse 13. Devon dumped Sam off the horse and she crawled away from him. He lunged at her and tied her to one of the metal poles holding the building up.

Sam could see how rusty the pole was and how fragile it looked. Then she remembered that this warehouse, unlucky number 13, was scheduled for demolition in just two days because it was old and could barely hold itself up. And now Sam could see why. Paint was chipping and the cargo was scattered across the floor. Some of the poles had already broken.

Sam looked fearfully at Devon. He was placing small boxes around the perimeter of the building, all attached together by a long string.

Dynamite.

Sam's widened as she finally understood what he planned to do to her.

"What are you doing?" she screamed.

Devon lifted his head. "Oh, you'll see, babe." He laughed to himself. "You'll see."

"Devon you can't blow this place up! It's going to fall any second!"

"Well then, I guess I'll be doing this town a favor." He placed the last box of dynamite down and straightened.

"You won't get away with this!" Sam said.

"That reminds me." He signaled to his horse and it came trotting to him. "Keep a lookout for the phantom kid." The horse whinnied and left.

Devon knelt down next to Sam. "By the way, I found out Danny Phantom's alter ego." He held up a hand when Sam opened her mouth. "It wasn't very hard, considering he doesn't do a very good job at hiding."

"Danny's always been careful," Sam said, and then she regretted it.

Devon laughed. "I'm sure he is. Especially earlier today when he almost exposed his secret to the entire school."

"Why are you doing this, Devon?" Sam asked.

"Because. Because I want Danny to feel the same pain my father did."

"Your father?"

Devon let out a long breath. "Really, Sam. I'd thought you'd figure it out by now. My father is the Fright Knight."

_Would you believe me if I told you Devon is the Fright Knight's son? _Starr's words came back to her. She wasn't lying. And Danny was right.

"They were right," Sam whispered.

Devon smiled. He was about to say something when he heard a loud neigh from outside. He was here. Devon stood. "I'll be right back. Stay beautiful." He took out a handkerchief and tied it around Sam's mouth. "And stay quiet."

"Bite me," was Sam's muffled reply.

* * *

><p>Mac and Starr growled at the winged horse as it blocked their path from going inside the warehouse. Danny floated behind them, looking around for Devon.<p>

"So, you've arrived. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show," Devon said as he stepped out from the shadow of the doorway. He placed a hand on the horse's side, calming it.

"Of course I came! Where's Sam?" Danny yelled.

"Ah, ah, ah…" Devon waved a finger in the air. "First surrender yourself."

"_First _let me see Sam."

Devon snorted. "She's fine." He saw Danny's emerald green gaze boring into his. "You don't believe me. Smart boy." He gestured for Danny to follow him. The trio followed Devon into the warehouse.

"I don't like this," Mac muttered to Starr.. "It looks like it could fall very easily."

Starr sniffed the air. "Yeah, you're right. But do you smell… gun powder?"

"It's a warehouse where they held military weapons, Starr. Of course you smell gun powder."

Devon stopped and pointed to the shadows where Sam was tied to the pole. At his first sight of her, Danny ran to her. She was battered and bruised. Her lip was cut and blood was dripping from her neck, down her neck. "Sam…" Danny said. He hugged her, pulling her tight to his chest.

"Danny," she sobbed. "You came."

"Of course I did." Without even realizing it, he kissed her head and buried his face in her hair. Starr and Mac came over and each got turns hugging Sam. Starr licked her neck to wash the blood away.

"I thought you hated me," said Sam.

"Sam." Danny brought her head up and cupped her cheek. "I could never hate you." He hugged her tighter than before and she cried out in pain. Danny looked at her. "Did he hurt you?"

Sam closed her eyes and looked away.

"_Sam. _Did he hurt you?" Danny asked again.

She nodded. Danny's eyes glowed a dark green. He hurt her. Devon hurt her. That asshole was going to pay.

Devon was nonchalantly examining his nails. "So, the deal?"

"Is off," Danny finished. He got up and stood right in front of Devon. "You said she wouldn't be harmed."

Devon shrugged. "It was just a bit of fun we were having." He smirked evilly.

Danny glanced back at Sam, horrified. Then he whipped around and punched Devon in the face. Devon stumbled back, his hand covering his now-bleeding nose.

"You ass," Devon mumbled. He snapped his fingers and his horse leapt at Danny. Before Danny could even register that he was under attack, Mac launched himself at the horse. He tackled it to the ground and they rolled away.

The horse got to its feet and it reared up. A long, massive horn grew from its head. Smaller spikes lined the horn. It swung its head experimentally then charged Mac. The dog rolled out of the way, just barely getting hit by the horn. It spun around and charged again. This time, Mac stayed put and waited until it was a few feet in front of him. Then he bolted right under its legs and slashed them with his claws. It came crashing down. Mac turned and admired his work. He was about to go to Danny who was fighting Devon with everything he had when the horse whinnied and got up again.

"You want _more?_" Mac asked. "Fine. Have it your way." He jumped into the air and landed on the horse back. It bucked underneath him, trying to throw him off. It finally succeeded, tossing Mac into the wall. He slumped down, half-unconscious, landing on something hard. He moved of it. It was a small box with a string attached to it. The string ran around the room, connecting this box with many more. Mac read the words printed on the box.

_Caution: Dynamite_.

Mac didn't have time to think before he felt the spiked horn underneath him, tossing him in the air.

"MAC!" he heard Starr scream. He caught a glimpse of her crouching protectively in front of Sam. Then he came tumbling down. He twisted at the last second, just missing the tip of the horn. He scraped his side on the side of it and fell to the floor.

Mac couldn't believe it. He was being beaten by a horse. Well, technically a pegasus, but it wasn't even worthy of being called that. It was just a winged horse. Nothing more.

He had some energy left. He used it to scramble to his paws and quickly retreat back to Sam and Starr. "Starr you were right! Devon plans to blow the whole place up! He rigged the whole building with dynamite."

"I knew it," said Starr.

"Untie Sam. I have to deal with horse-butt over there. Be right back."

He threw himself back into battle with the winged horse.

* * *

><p>After Mac had tackled the horse away, Devon and Danny began an all-out brawl. They punched and kicked at each other, knocking each other down. Danny had an advantage since he could fly, but quickly realized that, because Devon was also a ghost, he could be shot by ectoblasts. Danny used a tactic of flying down and hitting Devon in a weak spot like the neck, stomach or groin and then flying away.<p>

Devon on the other hand, learned the pattern Danny was using and spotted his flaws. He wasn't protecting himself when he attacked. That's when Devon would strike. He ducked as Danny came at him again and shot a powerful ectoblasts at his stomach. Danny tumbled out of the air and landed painfully on the ground.

Danny groaned and gripped his shoulder as he stood. It was throbbing horribly, as was some other parts of his body.

"Oh, come on!" taunted Devon. "I was hoping for more of a fight from the famous Danny Phantom. Or should I just leave him alone to run back to his mommy while I take his girl from him?"

"Don't… touch… her!" Danny shouted and launched himself at Devon. They hit the ground hard and for a second Danny saw black spots dot his vision. He shook his head and continued to beat Devon. When he finally needed a breath, he looked up and saw Mac slumped against a wall next to something. He followed Mac's gaze around the room, seeing that it was loaded with explosives.

Devon struggled to his feet. "So I see you've figured out my plan." He wiped blood from his mouth. "Too bad you won't be alive to see the outcome!" Devon shot out a hand and ectoenergy glowed around it, forming a sword. It solidified, the metal blade shone brightly around the room. "Hm. Not bad. I was hoping for a bigger blade like my father's Soul Shredder, but I guess this will have to do. Danny Phantom, prepare for the Soul Reaper!"

Danny took one look at the sword and knew there was no way he could win. Slowly, he focused his ectoenergy and created a sword of his own. He raised it above his head and charged.

Their sword met in a shower of sparks. They pushed against each other until Devon pulled his sword away, throwing Danny offbalence. His swung it in an underhand cut, but Danny blocked it. He tried a few more cuts, a few overhand, some underhand, and a couple side handed, each of them blocked by Devon. He was too good with a sword.

Danny tried to trip Devon to throw him off-balance and get in a good hit. Devon jumped over his leg and shoved his shoulder into him. Danny fell, his sword clattering out of his hand. Devon stood over him, his sword pointed at his neck.

"Did you think you could beat me at my own game?" Devon hissed. "My father is the master of swordplay. Do you think he never taught me?"

Danny glanced at Mac fighting for his life against Devon's horse, and at Starr, furiously clawing at the bonds that held Sam, and finally at Sam, his one true love, battered and beaten, looking more scared then she ever had in her life. He could not, _would _not fail them.

Using a Star Wars-type force, his sword flew back into his hand. He hit Devon's sword away from his neck and jumped up ninja-style. He came at Devon with newfound strength. Danny brought his sword down on Devon's sword hilt. He twisted his own sword and Devon's fell out of his grip and skittered across the floor. Before Devon could go after it, Danny grabbed his arm, bringing the ghost closer to him and slamming his sword-butt into his head. Devon stumbled back.

Danny moved back so that he was only a few feet in front of Sam and Starr. Mac, after leaving the horse lying on the ground (not dead, Mac refuses to kill), came to sit by Sam. He took one look at their terrified faces and said one word, "Go."

Then he breathed in deeply, filling his lungs until they might burst. From the corner of his eyes he saw Mac, Starr, and Sam run out of the door. Then he let the breath out in his Ghostly Wail.

It tore through the warehouse, breaking boxes and bending metal poles. But that's not where it was aimed at. The center, the most powerful point, was headed straight for Devon. It crashed into him, sending his flying clear across the room. He smashed into the wall, pinned there from the force of the attack. Danny kept up the wail for about 5 minutes, fueled by his hatred for Devon and love for Sam.

When he ran out of breath, Devon and everything else that was pinned to the wall fell to the floor. Danny hunched over, hands on his knees, exhausted and out of breath.

He looked up and smelled it. The faint scent of smoke coming from somewhere. He turned and saw the string attached to the dynamite were lit and quickly heading toward the box. Within seconds the whole place would burst, Danny inside it. He got up and was ready to leave when he thought of Devon, just lying there. His horse was there too. He fought internally with himself about taking them with him._ They're ghosts,_ Danny thought, _they can't be killed._

Why should he save someone who tried to kill him and hurt Sam?

Seeing them lying on the floor, hurt and bleeding was almost satisfying. But Danny wasn't like that. He doesn't kill. He protects everyone.

_Because that's what a hero does._

With only precious seconds left, he flew to Devon and his horse and carried them out just as the place exploded.

* * *

><p><strong>WOW.<strong>

**Once again, I am so sorry for the delay. I really hope to update sooner. There's only two chapters left. If I don't go to the beach today then I might post the next one.**

**Monday, though, there (hopefully) will be another.**

**SAD DAY. Summer's almost over and I'll be starting school soon. :'(**

**Still in High School. Not college.**

**UGH.**

**Crystalbearer out.**


	9. Aftermath Part 1: You Never Loved Me

**Hey y'all!**

**Told you I'd update on Monday! :P**

**Guess what? I'm watching Danny Phantom: Phantom Planet right now!**

**I really wanna punch Vlad in the face right now...**

**Anyway... oh wait. FAIL. They didn't blow up the Disasteriod! Oh shit, they're beating up Jack...**

**Ok then.**

**Disclaimer: Nah. Don't even try to ask.**

* * *

><p>Sam, Mac, and Starr had taken refuge across the street, being careful to stay far away from the building as possible. When Danny caught up with them, he laid the two ghosts on the ground.<p>

Sam hugged him. "Danny! You're okay!" She started crying.

"Shh, Sam, it's okay. I'm here now," Danny said, stroking her back, making little circles.

"You practically almost died. And it's all my fault." She tried to break away from him, but he held her tighter.

"Don't say that. It wasn't your fault. It's mine. I should have done something sooner or we wouldn't be here."

Sam hiccupped from crying too much. "How is it your fault? I should have listened to you. You were right all along." She leaned her head on his chest. "Apparently the only way for a guy to like me is if he's going after you."

"That's not true. Any guy can like you for you."

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better, Danny, but it's not working." Sam sighed.

"Sam," Danny said. She looked up and immediately felt his lips on hers. She stood there, completely shocked. Then she kissed him back with everything she had, all the built-up love she had to hide since day one.

They stood there in each other's embrace for a while, their lips still connected. Then when the need for air took over, they broke apart. Danny leaned his forehead on Sam's.

"I love you, Sam. I always have. You're beautiful, funny, smart… and you're mine."

"Danny… you... love me?"

He chuckled. "And they call _me_ clueless. Yes, Sammy, I love you. More than anything."

"I love you, too." Tears started to fall from Sam's eyes and Danny wiped them away.

"Don't cry, Sammy, please. I'd never let anything hurt you. I want you to know that." Danny remembered that she's said that Devon hurt her. "Where did he hurt you?"

Sam looked over Danny's shoulder at the two ghosts lying unconscious on the ground. The tears threatened to fall again when she thought of Devon. She placed her hand over her heart. "Here," she whispered.

Danny kissed her forehead. He understood completely, but he was still jealous. He hugged her tighter, this time careful of her wounds. There was one wound they say couldn't be healed, a broken heart, but Danny was more than sure he could fix Sam's.

He led her over to the bodies. Mac and Starr stood guard next to them. They shifted uncomfortably when Sam came close to Devon. She placed her hand over his and he stirred. She drew her hand back. "There was a time," Sam said, "when I thought he really did love me." Danny placed his hands on her shoulders. "But now I know he was lying. Why did you save them?"

He squeezed her shoulders. He didn't know what to say.

"Danny's a hero. Hero's do what's right even when they think it's wrong," Mac said. He licked Sam's cheek. "I would've done the same. He saved them because he couldn't let them die."

Danny brought Sam up to face him. "Do you want to come with me when I bring them back?"

Sam didn't get to answer because another voice did it for her. "You won't need to." They spun around at the sound. Devon was sitting up and his horse was struggling to keep itself balanced. Mac and Starr growled at them.

"Devon?" Sam asked.

"We can get back on our own," he said.

"How do I know you'll go back?" Danny pushed Sam behind him and Mac and Starr took up their positions on either side of him.

"Because I know I lost. I've tasted defeat. I must go back and tell my father."

"That's it?" Starr asked. "After all you put us through, you just give up and go home?"

Devon nodded. His horse finally stood and he mounted it. "I'm sorry, Sam. For what I did."

She looked away.

Devon bowed his head. "This wasn't even my doing. My father put me up to this. He told me of his defeat with you. I wanted to avenge him, to get on his good side. That'll never happen." He ripped off his necklace and tossed it to Danny. "That's the Silver Skull. It hides ghost from others."

Danny looked up. He could now see the faint glow around Devon, and his ghost sense went off.

"Use it wisely." He turned the horse around. "Oh, and just so you know, my father won't be happy with my defeat. He'll want his own revenge. I warn you to prepare yourself for when the time comes." He took one last look at Sam. This time she met his eyes. "We shall not meet again."

He took off into the night sky, leaving the four of them to watch him with mixed feelings.

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><p><strong>Short, I know.<strong>

**But I got a sursprise for you...**

**Since I'm going back to school tomorrow, and might not get another chance soon to update, I'm putting up the next chapter (which I have already written) right after I post this. So be prepared for a double-whammi! (Is that how you spell it?)**

**HAHA! Vlad said "bumbling."**

**OMG LOVE THIS PART.**

**Vlad: Jack, you have to help me. You wouldn't turn your back on an old friend, would you?**

**Jack: An old friend? No. You? YES. *smashes button and activates rockets, space shuttle zooms off***

**Vlad: *turns around cuz he got REJECTED***

**Me: OOOOOOOH! BURN!**

**LOL! I laugh everytime.**

**Okay, enough of that. I'll put up the next one after I edit it. I found some mistakes in it. :P**

**Crystalbearer out... for now. :)**


	10. Aftermath Part 2: It's Finally Over

**LOL. Tucker's presentation. The little dancing ghost at the end. BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**Whazzup? I just edited this and now it's being posted. YAY!**

**Last chapter by the way. Thanks for all of the reviews I got from you guys! LOVE YOU ALL!**

**OMFG KISSING SCENE!**

**...**

**WHOO! YAY! GO DANNY/SAM! AHHHH! I'm a freakin' phangirl...**

**Disclaimer: NO.**

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><p>On Monday, nobody knew where Devon went. Rumors were flying around the school that he got kicked out or expelled. The reason? For abusing Sam.<p>

They came to school on Monday, Sam and Danny both covered in scrapes and bruises. Most had healed over time, but those that didn't still showed faintly. Tucker could only wonder what they went through that fateful weekend. The trio had spent the entire day making up stories about Danny and Sam's injuries.

By the time lunch came around, everybody knew in some shape or form of what went on. Some hardly believed it.

The day came and went and soon their last class ended and everyone filed out of the classroom to escape the school. Being a Monday, there was no excitement in the air. Incoherent mumbles drifted in between the students as they raided their lockers in time to catch their bus or walk home.

Danny closed his locker door and turned around to find Sam, hugging her books close. She still looked shaken up from what happened. Danny managed a small smile as he pulled her by the arm and out of the school. They began walking home toward Danny's house.

As they walked, Danny swore he saw a tear slide down Sam's cheek. He stopped and pulled her into his arms and squeezed her small frame.

"It's all over, Sam," he whispered.

She buried her face in his chest and breathed in his scent. The sound of his steady heart was somehow very calming. She wanted to believe him, but the scar Devon left on her heart was too much to bear. Images flashed through Sam's mind: Her and Devon hanging out after school, them studying or eating at the Nasty Burger. Sam smiled at the thought. Devon was there for her even before she knew he was evil. But Danny was her best friend (and now boyfriend) and he loved her more than Devon could have ever hoped to. Danny was always at the back of her mind when she was with Devon. He haunted her dreams, left her feeling alone and cold when he wasn't there. And now, with him holding her, and her face buried in his chest, she felt safe.

Another thought popped into her head. She replayed the events that had taken place that night. Devon had said something. Something about his father…

"No it's not, Danny." She lifted her head up to meet his eyes. Those beautiful baby blue eyes she fell in love with. "The Fright Knight will come back. Devon said so!"

Danny gave her his famous lopsided grin. "So then I'll kick his ass from here to Timbuktu. He won't hurt you, Sam. I promise."

Sam smiled and hugged him tighter.

"Of course you won't need to kick him in the ass. It's already been done."

The voice caused Danny and Sam to turn around and see Mac and Starr hovering near them. Starr retracted her wings and Mac's cape disappeared within his collar so they looked like normal animals.

"What do you mean?" asked Danny.

"We mean that we took care of it!" Starr said proudly.

"You fought the Fright Knight by yourselves?" Danny nearly screamed. Sam hushed him by putting a hand over his mouth.

"Quiet, Danny!" She looked back at the cat and dog now sitting with their tails wrapped around their paws.

"Fought him, manipulated him, same thing," Starr said.

"Or same difference," Mac added.

"We paid him a little visit. It's going to be quite a long time before he decides to come back."

"Quite."

Danny and Sam stared at them and didn't say anything.

"Well?" Mac asked. "Are you going to just stand there and gawk at us or are we going to go to Danny's house? I think the new Doomed is out." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Danny shook his head, getting himself out of his trance. "Alright then. No more Fright Knight." He turned to Sam. "See? What'd I tell you? Everything's going to be alright." And then he kissed her. She smiled against his lips, enjoying every moment.

Apparently, it was a few moments too long and Mac cleared his throat. "Um, guys?"

They broke the kiss and looked at him. "What?" they said together.

"Catch me if you can!" the dog shouted and took off down the street at a dead run. Starr rolled her eyes.

"I've had enough of this game!" She snarled a bit than bolted down the street screaming, "YOU'RE A DEAD DOG, MAC!"

Danny and Sam laughed at the two insane animals. Then Danny changed into Danny Phantom after making sure no one was looking. He held out his hand.

"Shall we?" he asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

Sam smiled and placed her hand in his. It fit perfectly. "We shall."

Danny wrapped his arms around her waist and they floated in the air. He kissed her quickly, and then flew off toward his house, where he knew they'd both be safe.

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><p><strong>!<strong>

**I forgot how to spell. :P**

**YAY! I FINISHED! After all that hard work and delays, 10 chapters of pure crap that I thought of.**

**Thanks for all your reviews. I really really REALLY appreciate them!**

**Oh one more thing: You know how I put Mac and Starr in the story? Would you guys want me to write their backstories? I already thought of them and I kinda started Mac's story. You don't have to if you don't want to. I really just have them so I can refer to them if needed. But I was wondering if any of you were wanting to know where they came from and how they met Danny and Sam and the rest of the gang. Your choice.**

**Don't think this is the last you'll see of me! I have a few more stories in mind, so stay tuned!**

**Crystalbearer out.**


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